The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-11-27
WAR THE WETSAND DRYS
Result of the Hotly-Contested Whisky
and ti-Whisky Canvass in Atlanta.
A Majority of Negroes Vote with the ANTI
Prohibitionists and the Liquor Element
Carries the Election by 1000 Majority.

ATLANTA, Ga Nov. 26-After the most heat
ed contest record in the State OF Georgia.
Atlanta to-day voted against prohibition. The
fight has been peculiarly bitter one. For over
month thecitzens have been engaged In the
contest Meetings have been held almost every
night and local speakers and foreign statesmen
have stumped the county from almost every
curbstone in the city and every crossroads in
the county.e Early in the campaign the Prohi-
bitionists leased the largest warehouse in the
city and fitted it up with seating capacity for
5000 people. Almost nightly that building has
been filled, and such scenes of wild enthusiasm
rarely. witnessed. Almost every MN
lister in the city preached prohibition from his
pulpit Sunday after Sunday Both sides
had full campaign funds, and managed their
respective caucnses for all they worth
The negro vote was the bone of contention and
was the balance of power. Each side made the
most strenuous endeavors to secure it in every
way possible. The negroes we're considerably
divided on the subject. though the majority of
them voted with the Anti-prohibitonists.
One of the features of the contest has been
the active part taken by many women of the
city. Several of the churches organized COM
mittees fromfamong their female members, who
took active, part in the campaign They
societies. and met with them and prayed with
them day after day. The result of their work
was shown to-day by the appearance of large
numbers of women at the polls with blue
badges. They served hot coffee and sandwiches
at every polling place. and conducted prayer
meetings and singing crusades in the open air.
Fulton county, in which Atlanta is situated,
voted, two years ago, on the same uestion, and
went for prohibition oy majority of 22S out of
about s coo votes. The registration this time
exceeded that of last year by 1000 votes. The
principal fight made prohibition during the
camp align that 1T did not prohibit and that
in a number of places throughout the city which
paid taxes to the United States government for
the sale of whisky. Thousands of gallons have
been sent in each month from cities around At
lanta, from which il was almost easy to get
jug as It was at bars in the city The ants
claimed that prohibition injured the city. which
was receiving $4,000 year for whisky licenses
without decreasing in the slightest the amount
of whisky sold in the city. The Prohibition
lists, on the other hand, claimed that Atlanta
has never had prohibition; that while it was SO
voted, years ago, the licenses then existing did
not expire, some of them, until almost year
ago, and that since that time the domestic wine
clause in the local option bill allowed many
easily evaded. This was, however, remedied
by the last Legislature. which put license of
$40. 600 on all wine-rooms, which license will go
into effect after JAN l. The city has gone
wet" by probably 1000 majority. Great
thusiasm prevails on the streets.